A SCIENTIST from Towyn was sacked after he was found to be in possession of explicit images of children.
Dylan Sandland pleaded guilty in January to a charge of making an indecent category B photograph of a child.
Sandland, 24, of Llys Madoc, was sentenced to a 12-month community order at Caernarfon Crown Court today (February 25).
The court heard he was dismissed from his job after disclosing his guilty plea to his employer.
Prosecutor Joseph Lees said officers attended Sandland’s address in July 2022 with a warrant to search his premises.
Sexual images of 10-year-old females were found on his mobile phone, as well as folders with names indicative of a sexual interest in children.
Sandland’s phone, the court heard, had been used to search for illegal material of teenage children.
When interviewed by police, Sandland said he had deleted a lot of pornographic material which he had downloaded, but denied viewing illegal material.
Representing Sandland, Simon Killeen said he feels remorse and “was of good character,” having had no previous convictions.
His offending occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic, Mr Killeen said, at a time when Sandland was “isolated”.
“This all happened while he was studying for his degree,” Mr Killeen added.
“He was arrested in 2022; by then, he’d deleted the images, but they were found.”
Sandland self-declared his conviction to his employer after his guilty plea, which resulted in his dismissal.
His partner is “supportive” of him, while his family also attended the sentencing hearing.
Sentencing, Judge Nicola Jones told Sandland: “These children are real children. They are children who are raped, abused, tortured and mutilated for the pleasure of people like yourself.
“But I know by now, you have full remorse for what you’ve done.
“It’s clear to me that you had a significant issue during and following COVID. I accept there was an element of trauma for you.”
Sandland’s community order comprises a 26-session “building choices” programme and 10 days’ rehabilitation activity.
Judge Jones, who reserved Sandland’s case to herself should he breach the order, made a deprivation order in respect of his seized phone and laptop.
The defendant will adhere to sex offenders register notification requirements and a sexual harm prevention order for five years, and pay costs of £614.
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